The Style Guy Answers Fashion Questions From John Mayer, Diplo, and More

This month, style editor Mark Anthony Green helps out a few of our famous friends in the menswear department.

Aren’t the best episodes of game shows the Celebrity Editions? It’s not just the presence of, say, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (robbed on Jeopardy!) that makes these shows so watchable. It’s the vulnerability. You’re seeing people willing to go from paragon of perfection on the screen to instant normal guy behind the podium. Respect. So we shouldn’t have been surprised when we called up a few notable names and they hit us with questions as honest and shrewd as the ones posed by you (our slightly less famous readers) each month.

John Mayer

guitar virtuoso, troubadour, watch collector

What’s more important: the suit or the man who wears it? It’s like there’s a favoritism. If you have Ryan Gosling’s head coming out of the neck hole, it seems to do wonders for the suit. If Ryan Gosling stepped out in the oversize David Byrne–Stop Making Sense thing, would he still have the magic touch?
You’re misreading an important element to Ryan Gosling’s magic. It’s not that he looks good in everything. No one looks good in everything. Gosling’s magic comes from knowing what he looks good in and wearing only that. It’s equal parts style and discipline. This is really tough for a guy like yourself, who has a genuine love of certain designers. You went through a Rick Owens phase. It wasn’t long, but it was wrong. It seemed like you were wearing someone else’s clothes. But you’re doing the Lord’s work with every Visvim piece you pile on. So who knows if Ryan Gosling would look good in an oversize Balenciaga suit. (For more on oversize Balenciaga goods, see below.) I doubt we’ll ever see him try one out. But there’s a perfect style of suit out there for you, and the moment you find it, do what I do and commit: Buy it in every color and never look back.

Andy Cohen

host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, salt-and-pepper-hair paragon

What is the tried-and-true rule for when to cuff pants?
Here are two rules: Tom Ford believes you should always cuff your pants, and I believe you should always listen to Tom Ford.

Neil deGrasse Tyson

When should my tie be tight against my neck, and when should it be loose? I’ve seen both on men in what I would call formal situations, like awards ceremonies.
Let’s say you’re getting a Nobel Prize in Physics: Wear a bow tie, and wear it tight. But in any other situation—even if it’s another awards ceremony—you can get away with a looser tie. Especially if you’re already showing up with galaxy patches stitched onto your vest. Sure, it’s a rebellious thing to do. But it shows people you’re cool under pressure.

Diplo

producer and DJ, facial-hair master

Why hasn’t the men’s suit changed? Little things like fit and lapels have varied over the years, but why hasn’t the whole thing changed? Was it just perfectly designed the first time, or what?
Designers have tried! Check out the movie Boomerang. Eddie Murphy plays a super-stylish marketing-firm exec. The suits in the film are wild—bold colors and asymmetrical lapels. But they never stuck, because most men wear suits to not stand out. We’re working on changing that every day here at GQ’s HQ. You should feel your most bold and heroic in a suit. Maybe wear a suit on your next tour—help the cause a little.

Jordan Klepper

As a long-headed male, I find the selection of a respectable hat to be a delicate task. What is a modest crown befitting a man such as myself?
I’d never noticed it until now, but your head is indeed defined by an intriguing verticality. I would recommend finding a deep-billed ball cap—like the ones from Baldwin denim. The brim will help minimize your face. Some other advice: Go to a shop with a ton of options and take your time trying them on. You live here in New York City, right? Try JJ Hat Center in Midtown. It has treated chronic long-headedness before and will have a prescription.

Kumail Nanjiani

I’ve been wearing T-shirts and jeans for as long as I can remember. Every day. But I’m getting to the point in my life where I feel like I need to up my game. How do I evolve my wardrobe to a more sophisticated place while still feeling like myself?
I’d agree: It’s time to stop dressing like Dinesh on Silicon Valley. I think anyone looking to take that next step without seeming like they’re trying too hard should turn to brands that are basic but not “basic.” Like A.P.C., a label that specializes in a minimal, casual look that isn’t schlubby or boring.

Giancarlo Esposito

Gus on Breaking Bad, frequent rocker of fedoras

Should a pocket square accentuate the color of your tie or your suit?
Not even sure I want to help you. I’m still not over you shooting Denzel in Malcolm X. In any case, I would simply advise styling the pocket square last. A pocket square shouldn’t be matchy or distracting. It should simply harmonize. The only way to know if it does that for sure is to throw the suit, shirt, and tie on the bed and start playing with different combinations until one feels right.

Armie Hammer

actor, strong-jaw possessor

I love flip-flops.... They’re ergonomic and afford an appropriate amount of ventilation for living in the desert climate of Los Angeles. My question is: If someone doesn’t like my flip-flops, what’s the best way to cut their negativity out of my life?
Listen, Armie, the first step was that person warning you. The second step is this callout in GQ. Third will be a full-on intervention. Don’t make this difficult. Let us help you. And your feet.

Okay, Just Hear Me Out

Balenciaga Triple S Trainers

I’ll be the first to admit: Fashion often jumps the shark. Hell, some designers put periwinkle chaps on the shark and then jump it. But sometimes the great ones perfectly thread the needle of “That’s insane” and “I’m insane if I don’t buy that.” And that’s what Demna Gvasalia’s done with these Balenciaga runners. They look like a pair of grass-cutting shoes from the year 3017—like a pair of New Balance cannibalized another pair of New Balance to become Ultra New Balance Prime. And that’s the magic of it. They’re futuristic and nostalgic and completely mesmerizing. Are these a new staple? No. Does everyone need a pair of these to build the perfect wardrobe? Not at all. But right now, they’re the coolest laced things on the planet.

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